Chandra - Plant power bowls: 70 seasonal vegan dishes to boost energy and promote wellness

The backs of my eyes started aching, and I felt a creeping pressure rise up my face. The sunlight I had been enjoying all morning suddenly felt too bright, and the clicking of the keyboard from my coworker sitting next to me sounded too loud. Then I felt the sharpest jab in my head, and the throbbing began. I closed my eyes, but that only made me feel nauseated. I put my head down on my desk, trying to block out the fluorescent lighting, hallway conversations, peoples footsteps. Every sound, every light, every movement felt magnified.

And the pain was only getting worse. What was happening to me? This pain was like nothing I had ever felt before. A coworker dropped me off at my apartment since I wasnt in a condition to drive. Hours later, I was lying under the covers of my bed, holding my head, unable to fall asleep, with tears streaming down my face from the intensity of it all. When my physician returned my call, he listened to my symptoms and finally said, Well, it sounds like you just had your first migraine. That moment was the beginning of a long journey to find help.

Over the next decade, I tried one treatment after another, one prescription drug after another. I would frequently have no choice but to cancel plans with friends, miss work, and avoid anything that could possibly trigger a migraine. As my quality of life started to deteriorate, my search for help grew more intense. I was willing to try anything, from traditional Western to alternative medicine. I had the desire to live a healthy life, to find a treatment that worked, and while I was getting nowhere close to either, I never lost hope. One night a few years ago, I found myself watching a documentaryJoe Crosss Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. I was incredibly moved by his transformation.

By juicing fruits and vegetables, Joe lost over a hundred pounds and got off all of his prescription medications, completely rebooting his life. I immediately ordered my first juicer. I soon started juicing, blending smoothies, and cooking homemade meals again. I kept it simple and combined fresh, seasonal ingredients for maximum nutrients and flavor. My confidence in the kitchen grew, my migraines disappeared, and my energy soared. Months into my new lifestyle, I got a phone call that changed my life.

My dad had gone into sudden cardiac arrest after a massive heart attack and had been rushed into an emergency quadruple bypass surgery. It was the beginning of a long road to recovery for him and the beginning of a new career for me. I found myself reading book after book about heart disease and wellness. The more I read, the more I realized that I wanted to help him, the rest of my family, my friends, and everyone else I could reach to learn about the power of real food. They say you find your strengths through lifes biggest adversities. What I learned from my own health issues and from witnessing the sickness of the most important people in my life is just how precious our health is.

I saw firsthand what losing it did to my own life and those closest to me. I believe that better health and wellness should be accessible to everyone. A big step toward that is eating real, whole food that makes you feel vibrant from the inside out. I want to emphasize that Im not here to push a specific diet on you. While all the recipes are plant based, this book welcomes all types of eaters. Regardless of what dietary theory you associate yourself with, this book will help you incorporate more plants into your meals.

Ive been a vegetarian all my life, and today I enjoy a primarily plant-based diet because thats what makes me feel my best right now. However, I also believe that our dietary needs are as unique as we are, and they often shift throughout our lifetime. Health is not about eating perfectly at every meal of every day. We could be eating all the kale and spinach in the world, but it wont make a significant difference until weve addressed other important aspects that may be weighing heavily on us or preventing us from living our best life. Health is about sticking to those seemingly small habits that pay dividends: surrounding ourselves with uplifting people, exercising regularly, sleeping well, choosing positive thoughts, living in a supportive environment, and so much more. It means taking the time and effort to assess and focus on those other important aspects of our lives on a regular basis.